Roof Garden Tips

Those who are short on yard space and live in an urban environment with access to rooftops can plant rooftop gardens.  Such an arrangement presents challenges not encountered in traditional gardens.  But, a properly designed roof garden can flourish, even in an urban environment.

• Take note of the soil requirements for the various plants you want to grow.  Different plants require different soil depths, so it's important to provide enough soil on the roof to grow your desired plants.  Most plants that do well in plant containers also do well on the rooftop.


• Make sure you have a source of water for your roof garden. Because securing a source from the building can be a hassle and carrying buckets of water up to the rooftop a chore, the easiest way is to use a rain barrel to catch rainwater near the garden.


• Talk with your landlord about the weight load capacity of your building’s roof.  A roof garden involves soil and water that can be heavy, so it's best to ascertain how much weight your building's roof can carry without threatening its integrity.  Your landlord can also tell you what is and isn't allowed per local building codes and zoning requirements.


• Keep everything as light as possible because anything heavy has to be lifted up to the roof.  Instead of using traditional planting containers made from ceramic, try using ones made out of plastic.  Light potting soil can be used instead of manure or dirt.  Peat can also be introduced into potting mixes to make it lighter.


• Use trellises and other latticework to function as windbreaks in your roof garden.  They decrease wind flow without trying to block it completely.